Showing posts with label Bruce Springsteen Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruce Springsteen Review. Show all posts

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness at the Edge of Town Review



Badlands, Adam Raised A Cain, Something In The Night, Candy’s Room, Racing In The Street, The Promised Land, Factory, Streets Of Fire, Prove It All Night, Darkness On The Edge Of Town. 

Type of Music: Rock

Comments:
When I think about Bruce Springsteen as a performer, I always see at least two different characters. One is the self confident Stadium Rocker on Albums like Born to Run or Born in the USA. The other, and the one I like even better, is the sober observer of the industrial working class. A painter and a storyteller who creates images of life in small industrial towns in the Northern part of the United States.

Bruce scored big time in 1975 with his third album Born to Run. Probably because of the success of the record, Bruce entered in a three year long legal struggle over money with his former manager. During these three years Bruce was not allowed to record.

Once the dispute was settled, Bruce, like John Lennon, ventilated his anger and frustration through his songs.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is Bruce’s Primal Scream Therapy. He never rocked harder before and would almost never rock that hard again. It’s a dark and haunting album painting the life of the hard working - and betrayed American working class losers seeking a way out in alcohol, cars and women. And the music keeps up with the lyrics through furious guitar solos and pounding drums.
Bruce had at least three years to write the new songs and it shows. There are no weak tracks to be found on the album. Absolute high points are Adam Raised a Cain, a song that somehow reminds me of an African Tribe Chant, and the fabulous ballad Racing in the Street.  But Badlands, Candy’s Room, The Promised Land, Factory and Darkness at the Edge of Town are excellent songs as well. 
Starting with this album, Bruce changed his style of songwriting somewhat. Gone are the epic anthems, now replaced by shorter to the point statements. Bruce would keep this style for most of his career from now on. But hardly ever again would he be able to match the sheer power of expression he found in the Darkness on the Edge of Town. 
Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)
Black = Good Songs
Green = Great Songs
Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this RecordEverybody! This is an Essential Springsteen Record and one of the great Rock Albums of the Seventies

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle Review







Bruce Springsteen  : The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)                  
Songs: The E Street Shuffle, 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), Kitty´s Back, Wild Billy´s Circus Story, Incident on 57th Street, Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), New York City Serenade.   

Type of Music: Early Seventies Rock/ R&B Influences.

Comments:
Bruce´s second album is his own West Side Story, telling us Dylan like tales about the big city street life. With lots of Latin American influences both in words and in music. Living in a big city is like living in a great big Melting Pot. Lots of different cultures and influences. The same goes for the music on this Album.

Sometimes you will recognise bits and pieces of Dylan, Lou Reed, James Brown, Mink Deville or even Tom Waits. But all the songs have two common denominators: Balls and Soul!!
It is inevitable that one day all of this energy will lead to Born to Run.

It´s a very coherent album as well. Not really a bad song in sight although some songs are a bit overlong. I´m not too enthusiastic about the sound quality. Sounds a bit muddy.
The rhythms seem very odd from time to time during the songs but in the end it always just seem to work out fine. And that says something about the quality of the band although the drummer Vini Lopez is not always convincing.

On the other hand I really admire the organ and piano parts played by David Sancious. What a pity he left the band to start a career in jazz music. Absolute high point for me is his playing in Kitty´s Back, my choice for best song here. His playing reminds me of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Also very good is his piano part on New York City Serenade.

Like Greetings from Asbury Park NJ, I find it difficult to listen to the whole album in one time without losing interest after about 25 minutes. I suppose it is because of Bruce´s somewhat monotonous voice. However, on an individual basis the songs are all okay.  

It´s a pity that Bruce would abandon these story like songs later in his career and would concentrate on short and to the point musical statements. But I´m looking in the future. Let´s end this little story by concluding that The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle certainly is one of the best efforts by The Boss.        

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs
Green = Great Songs
Red = Could Be Better